Tag Archives: thesen

Colonial History of Knysna 1770-1890 (Part 4)

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The History of Knysna – Municipality of Knysna: By the early 1870’s Knysna had 25 settler dwellings with a population of 200. Also in early 1870, Arnt and Matheus Thesen and their families arrived to settle in Knysna. The Thesen’s had travelled from Norway on their sailing ship, the Albatros, and brought with them much needed sailing, commercial and practical skills. The Albatros was immediately put to use as a coastal trading vessel. The large family soon set to work in the vast indigenous forests, extracting and exporting timber on … Read the full article…

History of Knysna: The Lychgate (1935)

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A lychgate is a gateway covered with a roof found at the traditional entrance to a typical British churchyard. This lychgate was donated by the Thesen family in 1935, in memory of their mother, Mrs. Bessie Thesen, daughter of Captain Christopher Harrison (Knysna’s first Conservator of Forests), who died in 1901. E. Clementson built it of of solid teak and red ironstone which was quarried north of Knysna. … Read the full article…

History of Knysna: Melville’s Corner

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In 1876, it was bought by William Milne, a carpenter and undertaker who’d built the original building. In 1882, he let one room to the Standard Bank. In 1883 the bank rented the whole building as both Bank and Manager’s residence. It was later owned by Alexander McMaster in 1892 and McFarlane in 1896. When acquired by Thesen & Co. in 1912, they renamed it Melville’s. The curved gable with decorative plaster work was added in 1922. The store was closed in the mid 1970’s on the sale of Thesen … Read the full article…

History: Knysna Library (1893)

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Built at a cost of £1250, on land purchased from William Lloyd for £65, this sandstone building replaced an earlier public reading room of timber construction which stood on the corner of Main (previously called Church Street) and Long Streets. Built in 1858, during the tenure of the first magistrate Mr James Fichat, Mayor C.W. Thesen opened the present library building, with its west wing only. Built by Cooper & Rogers of Oudtshoorn with roofing erected by local carpenter, Andrew Hepburn, of The Knysna Forest Company, on 28 November 1893. … Read the full article…